Verizon: Hold Onto That Phone Just A Little Longer

DETROIT (WWJ) – No more early upgrades. That word from Verizon Wireless, which will eliminate the practice beginning next Sunday.

Michelle Gilbert is the spokeswoman for Verizon.

“We as a courtesy had been letting our customers upgrade four months early,” said Gilbert. “Now we are going to align everything so that the upgrade takes place when the new contract starts.”

“This is a very, very competitive industry and at the forefront when we provide our customer with a discounted phone – that’s a trememdous undertaking financially, that we take, and we just want to encourage our customers to use their phones for a full two years, before they get a new device,” she said.

Previously, Verizon Wireless customers were eligible for an early upgrade after just 20 months. Now those customers will have to wait the full two years.